Second Strengthening Growth and Fiscal Policy Development Policy Financing will help the government introduce growth-enabling reforms in the financial sector, business environment, and infrastructure; generate fiscal resources and...

The World Bank approved today a $75 million International Development Association (IDA)* credit to improve urban drainage, selected public services and climate resilience for the urban poor of Greater Antananarivo.

The project will enhance urban living conditions and flood resilience in selected low-income neighborhoods of Greater Antananarivo and improve the Recipient’s capacity to respond promptly and effectively to an eligible crisis or emergency.

The World Bank approved today an International Development Association (IDA)* financing of $220 million to support the government of Benin in its efforts to provide universal access to water for rural communities.

The World Bank approved today an International Development Association (IDA)* grant of $150 million in support of the Government of Mozambique’s Integrated Feeder Road Development Project that will enhance road access in the provinces of...

The World Bank’s Vice President for the Africa Region, Mr. Makhtar Diop, will visit Kenya and Rwanda from May 2 to 4, 2018. During his visit, Mr. Diop will meet the Kenyan President, H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta and Rwandan President H.E. Paul Kagame.

The World Bank approved an International Development Association (IDA)* package of $274 million today for four projects focusing on helping refugees and host communities in Cameroon with access to health care, education, social safety nets...

The project will support the establishment of a basic national safety net system including piloting targeted cash transfers and public works programs for the poorest and most vulnerable people in participating areas within the Recipient's territory.

[[tweetable]]In just under two weeks, about 1,000 people will gather in Washington D.C. for the 2018 Fragility Forum[[/tweetable]]. Policy makers from developed and developing countries, practitioners from humanitarian agencies, development institutions and the peace and security communities, academics and representatives of the private sector will come together with the goal of increasing our collective impact in countries affected by fragility, conflict and violence (FCV)....

Today is “End Poverty Day.” This is an important marker in the fight to end extreme poverty by 2030—a time for us to renew our collective commitment to do more and better to end poverty, and reflect on what the global community has accomplished together. Since 1960, the International Development Association, IDA, has stood at the frontlines of our work in the poorest countries. IDA investments help spur greater stability and progress around the world by ...

These days, it’s rare to open a newspaper (or scroll through a blog) without reading about a disaster striking somewhere in the world. Often, these disasters affect the very same countries that we support in our projects every day at the World Bank, and we watch helplessly as decades of development progress are erased within minutes, hours, or days. Disasters cause substantial losses in every country the World Bank operates in. It is truly not a question of if, but when, the next disaster...

The recent UN declaration of famine in parts of South Sudan, the world's first famine since 2011, raised global alarm that at least 100,000 people are at immediate risk of starvation. Adding to the troubling news, the U.N. estimates that about 20 million people are at a "tipping point," as famine stalks not only South Sudan, but Nigeria, Somalia, and Yemen. Crises like these, affecting some of the world's poorest and most vulnerable populations, require the urgent attention of ...

Between the social, political, and economic upheavals affecting our lives, and the violence and forced displacement making headlines, you’d be forgiven for feeling gloomy about 2016. A look at the data reveals some of the challenges we face but also the progress we’ve made toward a more peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable future. Here are 12 charts that help tell the stories of the year. 1.The number of refugees in the world increased. [[tweetable]]At the start of 2016, 65 million...

Story of IDA: It’s Possible to End Poverty I recently watched a remarkable work of art take shape. A mural depicting the story of the IDA, the World Bank’s fund for the poorest, brings to life the many transformative changes the world has seen since IDA’s founding in 1960. The “green revolution” staved off widespread famine in South Asia in the 1970s. The Montreal Protocol protected the world’s ozone layer. Haiti rebuilt its homes...

Photo credit: Graham Crouch/World Bank In my blog “The Governance Gap – can we bridge it?”, I stressed that strengthened institutions and improved governance are especially critical for the world’s most vulnerable countries in IDA, the World Bank’s Fund for the 77 poorest countries. IDA is the single largest source of funds for basic social services for these governments and every three years, members representing IDA’s 173 donor and borrowing ...

"Forcibly Displaced" - a new report out today, offers a new perspective on the global crisis and how humanitarian and development actors can work together to support the individuals affected. The report draws on sources including the UNHCR's Global Trends 2015 which shows that 9 in 10 of the world's refugees originate from 20 countries, and 9 in 10 are hosted by about 40 countries.

A professor teaching cell biology and biochemistry at a university in Africa. (Stephan Gladieu / World Bank) Happy UN Day for South –South Cooperation! Investment in skills is vital to economic growth and competitiveness and poverty reduction. I believe that there is no better way to do that than to educate young graduates with expertise in high-demand areas to help grow African economies, create jobs, and support research. I recently had the...

Since 1990, primary school completion rates in countries supported by the International Development Association (IDA) have risen by over 50%. The gap between girls and boys completion remains, but it’s fallen by 70% since 1990 and is now smaller than ever.

Young girl in an evacuation center, 2009. Philippines. Photo: Jerome Ascano / World Bank Since natural disasters can strike anywhere and anytime, making far-sighted preparations is much more effective than scrambling to respond to a crisis. I recognized this after Hurricane Mitch ravaged Honduras and my grandmother had to be evacuated because the local river swelled to the second floor of her home. As climate change intensifies extreme weather events...

Also available in: Spanish - French - Arabic The West Africa Agriculture Productivity Program (WAAPP). Photo Credits: Dasan Bobo/The World Bank Here’s something you may not be aware of: [[tweetable]]agriculture and changes in land use already contribute 25 percent of greenhouse gas emissions.[[/tweetable]] It’s a statistic that matters in the face of two unrelenting challenges now facing the globe –how to turn the promises of last...

Is it hot outside? Should I bring an umbrella? Most of us don’t think much beyond these questions when we check the weather report on a typical day. But weather information plays a much more critical role than providing intel on whether to take an umbrella or use sunscreen. It can help manage the effects of climate change, prevent economic losses and save lives when extreme weather hits. During the second IDA18 replenishment meeting in Nay Pyi Taw, I visited the...

Carbon dioxide (CO2) accounts for more than 80% of total greenhouse gas emissions globally, but only 12% of emissions are currently covered by explicit carbon prices. The High Level Panel on Carbon Pricing has called on the international community to double this figure to 25% by 2020 and increase it again to 50% within a decade. Read more.

About this series More blog posts Poverty and isolation create a host of development challenges for Myanmar's rural communities, from poor road connections to lack of clean water and unreliable electricity. Since 2013, the Myanmar National Community-Driven Development Project (NCDDP) has helped improve access to basic infrastructure and services with support from the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank's fund for the poorest. The ...

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, state counselor of Myanmar and Nobel Peace Prize winner, told representatives from governments rich and poor at a meeting this week in Myanmar that reducing poverty and ensuring that everyone benefits from economic growth calls for a deep focus on addressing the challenges of fragility and conflict, climate change, gender equality, job creation, and good governance. Suu Kyi was speaking at the opening session of a meeting of the International Development Association (IDA),...

This week, more than fifty donor governments and representatives of borrowing member countries are gathering in Nay Pyi Taw to discuss how the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) can continue to help the world’s poorest countries. IDA financing helps the world’s 77 poorest countries address big development issues. With IDA’s help, hundreds of millions of people have escaped poverty. This has been done through the creation of jobs, access to clean water,...

The International Development Association (IDA) is one of the largest sources of assistance for the world's poorest countries. Over the past 25 years, IDA countries have seen progress on many fronts. These include greater access to clean water and sanitation, improvements in school completion rates, higher rates of childhood vaccination and higher rates of mobile phone use.